How to Cut a Fresh Pineapple

Don’t be intimidated by fresh pineapples! They might look daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to cut, and so amazing to eat. Time was when fresh pineapple was mainly a winter fruit, but like a lot of produce it is now available year-round. Pineapple still seems more fitting to augment the dearth of fruit choices in the winter, but it’s still welcome in the summer, when it brightens fruit salads, and is delicious grilled! One you get the hang of this, you’ll want to explore our array of Pineapple Recipes — Sweet and Savory.Let’s get started …

Slice the top off of the pineapple, close to the crown. Then, cut a thin slice off the bottom.

Stand the pineapple up, and with a wide knife, cut away sections of the skin, using downward motions.

Cut away small brown spots with a paring knife.

Cut large sections of pineapple away from the core. If you have a high-speed blender, use the core in a smoothie; otherwise, discard it. If you’d like to grill pineapple, you can make these sections just a bit smaller, but keep them fairly large so they don’t fall through the grill.

Otherwise, cut each section into large bite-sized dice, and use in any way you’d like — fruit salad, salsas, stir-fries, and of course, desserts.